Property tax
decoded by Annual Value.
Annual Value · Owner-Occupied · Rental · Commercial
Every property owner in Singapore pays property tax annually — occupied, rented out, or vacant. The bill is driven by your property’s Annual Value and how it’s used. We help you understand your assessment and object where the numbers don’t add up.
Property Tax · Notice
- Payment due: 31 January
- Basis: Annual Value (AV)
- Non-residential rate: 10% of AV
- Objection window: 30 days from Valuation Notice
- Late payment: 5% penalty
- 31 Jan Payment due
- 10% Non-residential rate
- 4 Exempt use types
- 30 Days to object
- 5% Late penalty
Overview
A tax on ownership, not occupancy
Property tax applies to anyone — individual or company — who owns property in Singapore, regardless of whether the property is lived in, rented out, or left vacant. IRAS administers and enforces it, and the revenue funds education, healthcare, and social infrastructure. It’s calculated annually and payable in full by 31 January.
How Annual Value is calculated
The Annual Value (AV) is IRAS’s estimate of what a property could rent for over a year — not what you actually charge or receive. IRAS derives this from a market estimate, considering:
- The property’s size
Its physical condition - Rent achieved by comparable properties nearby
- Its location
- Other relevant market factors
If your property’s actual rent is $3,000/month ($36,000/year), IRAS might still assess the AV at $48,000 based on market comparables — the tax is calculated on the AV, not your collected rent.
| Category | How it’s taxed |
|---|---|
| Owner-occupied residential | Progressive rates that rise as AV increases. |
| Non-owner-occupied residential | Progressive rates, higher than owner-occupied at each band. |
| Non-residential (commercial, industrial, and other non-residential property) | Flat 10% of AV. |
- Object to the Annual Value — Raise an objection within 30 days of receiving your Valuation Notice, if you believe the AV overstates your property’s market rent.
- Appeal a rejected objection — A further 30 days is available to appeal, if your objection is turned down.
- Late payment penalty — Missing 31 January triggers a 5% penalty on the unpaid tax, though a waiver may be granted for full immediate payment or genuine first-time offenders within a 2-year window.
You can object to the Annual Value assessed on your property, but not to the tax rate itself — that’s set uniformly by category.
- Places of worship — Temples, churches, mosques, monasteries and similar religious premises.
- Education — Properties used for schooling or formal education.
- Charitable purposes — Properties operated by registered charities for their charitable mission.
- Social development — Properties that enhance or promote broader social development goals.
Exemption depends on how the property is used, not what type of building it is.
Why HeySara
Tax filing that doesn't rely on you remembering a date
ACRA-registered agents
Deadline reminders, not surprises
One team, full picture
Straightforward pricing
Received a Valuation Notice you'd like reviewed?
FAQs
Yes — property tax is charged regardless of occupancy status. A vacant unit is still assessed an Annual Value and taxed accordingly.
